Source: Bibby unlikely to return to Knicks

A source close to Knicks unrestricted free agent Mike Bibby told ESPNNewYork.com that it's unlikely the veteran point guard will return to New York.

"We do expect a need for him [with a team] once camp starts or just before," the source said, "but we don't think it's going to be with the Knicks."

The Knicks can afford to re-sign Bibby because he's open to the veteran's minimum, which is what he made last season. But the team now has four point guards on the roster: Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni and Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's younger brother. (Chris' contract, for now, is only for training camp.)

The Knicks are planning to bring back unrestricted free agent Baron Davis to serve as a mentor, but not as a player. That's because the point guard won't be able to play until perhaps next summer, as he's recovering from a right knee injury suffered in last season's playoffs. On the flip side, Bibby is able to play this season -- and he's been preparing to do so.

This summer, Bibby returned to his main residence in Scottsdale, Ariz. That's where he and his brother-in-law, NBA player Eddie House, have been working out with a personal trainer, focusing on basketball and running drills.

Bibby, 34, only averaged 2.6 points in 39 regular-season games in 2011-12. But he stepped up in additional minutes in the playoffs (due to injuries to Davis and Jeremy Lin), upping his averages a bit and hitting a couple of key 3-pointers against the Heat.